The other day as I was casually strolling through Michael’s during spring break, I saw this display:

Something about this merchandise selection has struck me. How polarized has our American political society become that we feel the need to assign political affiliations to our pets? And this evidence of polarization seriously begs the question: how should the educational system broach the subject of politics? Should politics be completely kept out of the classroom? Or are we losing out on an opportunity to teach our young citizens how to discuss their viewpoints in a civil manner?

“Political socialization” is “the process by which individuals develop political values and beliefs” (“Political Socialization: Lesson Overview” ). Friends and culture influence one’s political values, but family values are overall the best predictor in how one will vote. The most formative years in one’s political socialization occurs between the ages of 14 and 24, right when young Americans are in high school and perhaps college (Neundorf).

Many argue that if the subject of politics is broached in the classroom, it should not be until the student is eighteen years or older, because it is not until this age students are mature enough to have such discussions maturely. Penn State’s Rhetoric and Civic Life (RCL) class encourages students to think critically about civic issues and share their insights with others. I personally really enjoy RCL, because it is a forum I can discuss civic issues with my peers in an environment in which I feel my opinions are respected and valued. I acknowledge my capacity to understand the world and sympathize with my peers is much greater now than it was in high school. Not all young people get the opportunity to take RCL, however, or even go to college at all. By not including how to discuss civic issues within the high school curriculum, we are preventing young people that don’t attend college from learning to how to sympathize and understand their fellow voters.

So, if high school isn’t teaching kids how to discuss political issues, who is? Unfortunately, the media. According to a Pew Research study, 35% of those between 18 and 35 got their information about the 2016 presidential campaign through social media (Curry). But is that so awful? I mean, social media is such a big part of our lives, is it so bad its serving as a political information source?

Considering this is the “political discourse” that occurs on social media, we have all the reason in the world to be concerned! If we don’t teach students in the K-12 system how to think critically about politics and issues of policy (notice I am not saying what to think), young people will continue to form their political opinions based on the extremely polarized viewpoints displayed in social media.

Many educators fear broaching the topic of politics of the classroom because they don’t want students to argue or disagree with each other. But disagreements and debate is the cornerstone of American politics! Now, students don’t understand that disagreement can lead to the fostering of better solutions. Rather, the only type of debate many Americans know is during the presidential election and “twitter fights” on social media. Political discussion is perceived as the jobs of “politicians” rather than everyday Americans, which is a hinderance to political efficacy.

But how should teachers include political discussion in the classroom? Diane E. Hess and Paula McAvoy actually wrote a book based on years of research to tell teachers just how to broach the “touchy subjects” in the classroom. Overall, Hess and McAvoy advise teachers to encourage deliberation over “open issues” rather than “closed issues.” For example, a “closed issue” is whether global warming is occurring, since the scientific consensus is that it is. An “open issue” is what policy the United States should put in place to combat global warming (Drummond).

Another troubling question is whether teachers should make their political viewpoints known. Hess and McAvoy said that it is largely up to the judgement of the teacher; through their study they observed excellent educators that shared and did not share their views. The researchers emphasize, however, that one of the most harmful things educators can do is use “partisan humor.”  “It’s these offhanded comments that are sort of biting and mean-spirited about the political climate that I think is problematic. Because it creates a climate not of fairness, but it creates a kind of insider/outsider feeling. If you get the humor that I just said or, ‘Do you agree with me that that politician’s a big idiot?’ That invites the most divisive parts of the partisan climate into the classroom”(Drummond). For productive discussions to occur, educators must create a “culture of fairness” in which students feel their viewpoints are respected.Furthermore, the students in the study actually enjoyed engaging in deliberation with their classmates, and were actually more interested in hearing differing viewpoints than those similar to their own (Drummond)!

Students want to engage in deliberation with each other over important issues to better understand each other. By tiptoeing around “touchy issues” in the K-12 educational system, we are preventing young people from having productive discussions about how we should approach our nation’s issues. If we want to change our current culture of political polarization, it starts with teaching students how to talk to each other.

 

Sources

Curry, Kevin. “More and More People Get Their News via Social Media. Is That Good or Bad?” The Washington Post, WP Company, 30 Sept. 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/09/30/more-and-more-people-get-their-news-via-social-media-is-that-good-or-bad/?utm_term=.e19d414d5dfa.

Drummond, Steve. “Politics In The Classroom: How Much Is Too Much?” NPR, NPR, 6 Aug. 2015, www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/08/06/415498760/the-role-of-politics-in-the-classroom.

 

“Political Socialization: Lesson Overview.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-us-government-and-politics/american-political-beliefs-and-behaviors/political-socialization/a/lesson-summary-political-socialization.

 

Neundorf, Anja, and Kaat Smets. “Political Socialization and the Making of Citizens.” Oxford Handbooks, Oxford University Press, 15 June 2017, www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935307.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199935307-e-98.